Collaborating With the “Enemy”

Let’s say you’re in class, and your teacher tells you to form a group of 3-4 people in order to do a project or something similar. You have one other person in your group, and look at who’s the only person left in the class? The one who ALWAYS disagrees and argues with everything you say, and you can never ever seem to get along with them. Oh believe me, that feeling is terrible. ESPECIALLY when before joining your group, they give you a disgusted and angry look and grunts before walking off to somehow find another group. Nope. They’re stuck with you, and you with them. Class ends, and you have this sinking feeling in your heart that this project will greatly hurt your grade because of the conflicting opinions between you and that other person.

The next day, you have to form back into your groups and work together to bounce off ideas. Guess what happens? They don’t want to work with you, let alone talk. They face away, and start doing things on their own that may or may not be related to the class. The day after that, they still refuse to work with you. What do you possibly do? Honestly, I still don’t know.

I didn’t write about this (may or may not be) hypothetical situation to provide a solution for it. This time I’m asking for one. Anyone have any ideas? Because I can’t think of anything right now and if this continues, I never will. I’m sure all of us have encountered/will encounter a similar situation someday, and I want all of us to be able to combat or prevent it. In the working world, there is no such thing as avoiding each other. There will of course be people you dislike and can’t get along with. But as humans, we have to learn to bear with it and somehow find a way to do so.

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2 comments on “Collaborating With the “Enemy””

You know what, the best thing you can probably do in this situation is to call them out for their crap, because if you are willing to work with them, you have to let them know. If they still refuse to work with you, tell whomever is in charge, and I am certain the offender can be persuaded.
Also I’m sorry you have ever been in this situation, and I can sympathize u<u
Sucks to be stuck with the stubborn, spiteful ones who can't focus on their work because they're so distracted with petty rivalries.